Bigsap Warning 2011

[PATheron]

Working steady down here at Pierce and sometimes Sons Maple. Trying to get as much as I can done in the woods now with it still nice. Making good progress. Cut a bunch of dead trees out in one woods that kept messing me up last year. Have to kind of fix the lines up here and there as I do it but its worth it not to have the leaks in season. Just trying to perfect everything. Bought a heavy trailer to haul sap. Hoping that makes things faster and easier. Still working in the shed but kind of on hold there untill the weather gets cold. Bought a used second high pressure vessel for the cdl machine. Now both of the 600's will be 900s. Hated to spend the money but seems that Im always waiting on the ro's to be done and Im hoping with two two post machines If I single pass I can match the evaperator. Im thinking each one will do roughly 4 gallons a minute of 8%. That would be 480 gallons an hour and that would feed the evaperator. Much easier if I have to go to work. Also bought two lapierre sap filters that plumb in line before the ro's. Really hated to spend that money but my big goal this year is to do a better job of maintaining my membranes and that should help a lot. Sounds like everyone else is gearing up. Lets hope for a good season. Theron

[Maplewalnut]

Pierce and sometimes Sons Maple.

'SOMETIMES'....isnt that the truth. I have the same problem all of a sudden. would rather be out shooting squirrels! Can't say I blame them but its pretty funny when you have shotguns and 22's leaned up against trees while strecthing laterals. My one son even chastised the older one when he leaned his gun against a MAPLE tree! Leaning is for pines he says....

[wglenmapler]

Theron, It was nice to meet you today. Sounds like you have a great set-up over the border. It's always nice to meet someone else who is passionate about maple----and you are all of that!!!!!

I hope it all goes well and that you guys aren't too sore from the hill!! That ones a slope for sure.

See you soon!

Dan

[PATheron]

It was a lot of fun to come up and check out your operation. Ive never seen more maple or better lines I dont believe. What a spot. Nice to have pals that arent too far away. You meet a lot of nice people in the maple industry. I getting to where I have as many friends north of Pa as I do in Pa. Theron

[Paddymountain]

wgmapler,where are you located? I have a cabin on the hill above Burdett, and I would like to see your operation also. I'm coming up this weekend to hunt, and could get to your place probably during midday.
thanks
Paddymountain

[wglenmapler]

I am working a show this weekend, so I won't be around. Too bad cause I always enjoy to meet new people especially fellow sugarmakers.

Maybe we can get together sometime.

Thanks
Dan

[PATheron]

Bigsap alert!!!! Bigsap alert!!!!!- testing,, testing,, 123- weve got a time and date check of dec 4 0540 hours, less than 2 months to operation tap in. You genetically defective, moose huntin, snowmachinin, bucket dumpin, tree borin, best we can come up with for sugarmakers in this country need to start getting ready. No more talk of hunting season!! No more of this spending time with the families over the holiday season bull crap!! This is serious!! Ive already tested trees down here and this isnt even sugaring country and theyre at 2 % in the fall. This is the big one!! If it has maple bark it needs to have a hole in it!! If you can buy a pump buy it!! If you cant have someone out there sucking on the spile!! Whatever!!! Just try to act like your taking this stuff serious for once!!! Im not kidding about the sugar either, i wouldnt kid about maple,, its too serious!!!! Thee( if i dont hit 2500 gallons this year im pouring it all on the ground!!)roon

[PATheron]

Hows that Randy? I tried to capitalize everything but it didnt take, Im kind of a computer numbnut. Theron

[Revi]

Thanks for the pep talk Coach. We'll get out there and get some stuff done now!!

It's not too far away, even here. If it starts in February like it did last year we have about 2 months!

[PATheron]

Heres my update from the BIGSAP guy. I need to take my own advise. Been pretty easy to watch the history channell nights and waste valuable maple time. Got the Ro room ALMOST done. Been doing a ton of plumbing in there with having the two ro's and adding a hotwater rinse tank and new sap filters and such. Got the new to me evaperator ALMOST done. Need to hook up the floats and plumb up it and the piggy back to the head tank and also hook up the oil tank. Dads got the shed ALL done as far as closing it up around the evaperator (he seems to be the only one completing anything so far). Got the wiring in the shed ALMOST done. Need to put in some more lights. Got the new sap trailer ALMOST done. Need to get the electric brakes working. Got almost all the taps on the house pump ALMOST done. Need to still fix a few hotspots. Need to get up to the Booy bush and put a couple days in on those 400 or so taps. Need to get up to another bush I started and finish up those 4 or 500 taps. Probly 2 days on the Booy bush and three on the other. Need to run three mainlines at my buddys place to the tank spot and hook up a liquid ring pump and a releaser. Then Im ready. Not tapping till feb first. If Im ready earlier Im just going to keep cruising the woods for damage, Keep adding taps and tweeking mainlines. This year Im not going to be happy with BIGSAP anymore now I want SUPERSAP!!! Probly going to be around the same taps. Ive added probly 4 or 500 but removed a lot of second taps in my existing system. They were big enough trees by the old guidelines which I figured 15 to 18 inches but they were just big enough and I change to only two on the really big trees. Want to do this forever and dont want swiss cheese trees so anyway not sure how many taps Ive got but this year when I tap Im going to try to figure it out and keep track of bags. Theron